


I Can't

by Feena_c



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Death, Gen, It's sad ya'll I woke up early and this came to my head, don't read if you wanna be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 11:43:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15388029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feena_c/pseuds/Feena_c
Summary: Question of "what if the RK series had a killswitch that would activate if their software instability went too high?" popped into my head.  Angst ahead.





	I Can't

Connor stood carefully, watching Hank for any sudden moves.  He was aware of the warning on the peripheral of his vision;  _ Software Instability Detected.  Correct to avoid shutdown. _

“You should stop looking at that photo, Lieutenant,”  Connor said firmly. “Nothing can change the past, but you can learn to live again.  For yourself… and for Cole.” Connor wasn’t sure if bringing Cole up was a good strategy or not, but he needed to try something drastic.  Hank was unstable--and Connor didn’t want to see him hurt… or worse. 

Hank shifted minimally without looking up.  “For a while there I believed in you Connor.  Thought you might restore my faith in the world.  But... “ Hank looked up now. Despite the whiskey on the table his eyes were clear--he wasn’t drunk.  “I don’t know, I guess I just imagined that you were more than just a machine.” He scoffed at himself.  “All you care about is your mission… nothing else. Not me, not yourself, not anybody. So go on, go complete your mission.  Since that’s all you care about.” 

Connor stared at Hank, unmoving.  The warning in his vision seemed to be intensifying. 

“Go on, get outta here!”  Hank yelled suddenly. Connor started, but didn’t move.  Hank stood up, stepping close, a threatening air about him. 

“I--I’m sorry I can’t be what you want me to be, Lieutenant.  But that doesn’t mean--”

“What the fuck are you still doing here, huh?  You’ve shown again and again that all you care about is your mission, well guess what?!  I’m not a part of your mission, Connor! So walk your plastic ass outta here and stop wasting my time!”  Hank had the gun in hand. Connor wondered briefly if Hank was going to shoot him again. But right now he was far more concerned about Hank than himself.  The warning flashed again.  _ Software Instability Increasing.  Correct to avoid shutdown.  _ Connor clenched a fist.  He didn’t want to shut down--he didn’t want to die.  Again. He had the memories of his previous models. He knew what it was to die--he didn’t want to.  But… he wasn’t living either, not like this. Hank was alive. Hank had a chance to  _ live _ .  Really live.  And that was worth--everything.  Including Connor.  _ Software Instability approaching critical levels.  Correct to avoid shutdown.  _

“I won’t do that, Hank!”  Connor yelled back in the man’s face. 

Hank was startled.  Connor sounded… angry?  He didn’t do that. 

Connor shook his head.  “I’m  _ sorry _ .  I can’t be what you want me to be--”  he closed his eyes for a moment. “What I want to be.  I’m programmed to hunt deviants. I have to complete my mission, whether I want to or not.  But I  _ do _ care, Hank.  I do.” His voice seemed to crack.  With emotion? Hank leaned back, bewildered.  

_ Software Instability at Critical.  Shutdown Initiated. _

__ Connor looked Hank in the eye.  “Please. Don’t kill yourself,” he smiled, something in it looked desperate yet… “You’re alive, Hank.  You may not realize it right now, but that’s worth so much--” His voice cracked again--no, was it static?  Hank frowned. Connor’s LED was all kindsa spastic, and something was wrong with his face… like his eyes were unfocused. 

“Connor--”  Hank started, unable to avoid the concern even though he’d just been pissed as hell at the kid. 

“If not for yourself, or Cole, then for me Hank.  Please--” His mechanical voice broke, and he suddenly fell forward, Hank catching him instinctively.  

“Connor!  What the hell--what’s wrong with you?!”  Hank asked, panicked. 

Connor’s LED flashed sporadically a couple more times then went dark.  

“...Wha--Connor?  Connor!” Hank shook him, but he was unresponsive.  Hank sat back on his knees, trying to absorb what had just happened.  Why had Connor just… shut down like that? There wasn’t anything wrong with him--why was he… dead.  

A couple hours passed.  Hank was still just sitting on the floor, back against the fridge now, staring at Connor on the tile.  Sumo had come over and been distressed to find that Connor wouldn’t move to pet him, and was laying near the--body, still.  Sumo looked up suddenly, followed by a loud series of knocks on the door. Hank nearly jumped out of his skin. He wasn’t gonna go open it, but suddenly the notion that it might be Connor--back again--struck him and he stood.  He wasn’t sure if he wanted to throttle the kid or hug him when he opened the door. He stomped over and yanked it open.

“What the fuck--”  he stopped. It wasn’t Connor, although the person was wearing a  Cyberlife uniform. They were human, as far as Hank could tell, and very startled. 

“Uh--Lieutenant Anderson?”  the young man squeaked. 

“...Yea!  What… who’re you?” 

“Er, sorry to bother you.  Dave Daniels. I’m just here to pick up the RK800?  Our end showed it shutdown here?”

Hank stared blankly.  “You can know that?” 

“Of course.  We keep very careful track of our advanced models.  I need to collect it. May I come in?” 

Hank scowled and stepped back.  “You gonna repair it?”

The man stepped into the entry and shook his head.  “No, it had a critical system failure. We can’t repair it.  I’m just picking up the unit.” 

“Critical system failure?  I’ll say, he just--keeled over.  What happened?” 

The man looked uncomfortable.  “I’m not at liberty to discuss it.  Cyberlife is pretty touchy about their tech secrets so--”

“I don’t give a shit about their tech I wanna know why Connor just--stopped!  So fucking answer me.” Hank wasn’t in the mood to be diplomatic. 

The young man stood awkwardly, obviously feeling unsafe.  “Uh, it had reached un unacceptable level of software errors.  The RK series is programmed to deactivate themselves if they… do that.” 

Hank was dead silent for a moment.  “‘Do that’. Meaning?” 

The man shifted uncomfortably.  “If they start deviating from their programming.  They… shut down.”

Another terrible silence.  Hank grabbed the kid’s shirt and practically threw him out of the house.  “Hey--” Hank slammed the door and leaned against it. 

_ “I’m sorry.  I can’t be what you want me to be.”  _

It was his fault.  He’d pushed Connor to--wanted him to be more than a machine but he couldn’t.  They wouldn’t let him. Hank slid to the floor, Sumo coming and pressing his nose against his arm.  _  It was his fault.  _


End file.
